Assam: Mising language notified as medium of instruction up to class V

Process on for Rabha, Tiwa, Deuri, Karbi, Dimasa, and Santal languages too

Staff Reporter

Guwahati: The state government today notified the Mising language as a medium of instruction in lower primary schools, from Class I to V, for the academic session of 2025-26. A similar process is going on for six other languages of Rabha, Tiwa, Deuri, Karbi, Dimasa, and Santal, which are slated to be notified soon.

At a time when the government was processing the notification of tribal languages as a medium of instruction in schools and sought lists of schools from autonomous councils and sahitya sabhas in their respective areas by February 25, the Mising bodies submitted their list earlier to correlate the notification announcement with their festival of Ali-Aye-Ligang today. The government had earlier, in March 2024, to facilitate better learning by the students of the Mising, Rabha, Karbi, Tiwa, Dimasa, and Deuri-speaking communities, decided to notify Mising, Rabha, Karbi, Tiwa, Dimasa, and Deuri as the Medium of Instruction (Mol) in the foundational stage of school students. However, the tribal communities wanted their languages to be upgraded in schools from the foundational to the primary level. So, the government had asked them to provide lists of schools in their respective areas. The Mising community bodies jumped the gun and were successful in getting their tribal language introduced in schools from Class I to V today.

A notification issued by the Department of School Education today said, “In the public interest in general and in the interest of preserving and promoting the Mising language and culture, catering to the needs of the indigenous Mising community, and ensuring that the students belonging to the Mising community can get education in their mother tongue or home language, the Government of Assam in the Department of School Education is pleased to notify that the medium of instruction in the Lower Primary Schools (Class-I to Class-V) under the Department of School Education as mentioned in the list consisting of the names of 200 numbers of LP Schools shall be in the Mising language. Henceforth, the said 200 LP schools in the State of Assam shall be categorised as ‘Mising Medium Lower Primary School’ for all purposes.”

Regarding this development, Education Minister Ranoj Pegu posted on X, “After the Foundational stage, these languages, introduced as Medium of Instruction, shall be shifted to a Regional language as a Medium of Instruction.

“On this joyous and festive Ali-Aye Ligang day of the Mising community, I am delighted to share the good news that the Assam Government has officially notified the Mising language as a medium of instruction in Lower Primary Schools (Class I to V) under the Department of School Education today.

“To begin with, 200 schools have been selected for the academic year 2025-26, where education will follow the three-language formula—Mising, Assamese, and English. Additionally, at the Upper Primary and High School levels, Mising students can study Mising as an optional/elective subject. Similar notifications are being processed for Rabha, Tiwa, Deuri, Karbi, Dimasa, and Santal languages, too.”

This order shall come into force from the academic session 2025-2026.

 Also read: Assam Govt to Introduce Mising, Tiwa, Rabha Languages Till Class V

Also Watch: